Bed-motion for printing-machines.



PATENTED 00w. a, 1903. E. T. OLEATHERO. I BED MOTIQN FOR PRINTINGMACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT 8, 1902.

a sums-M11211.

N0 MODEL w im PATBNTED OCT, 6, 1903.

E. T. GLBATHBRO. BED MOTION FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. a. 1902. no MODEL. 3 sums-sum z.

warns r-zvms w. PHFJTO-LFTRO, msnmmow o PATEN TED OCT. 6, 1908.

E. T. GLEATHERO. BED MOTION FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

APPLIUATION FILED 811F128, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 N0 MODEL.

UN TED STATES Patented October 6, 1903.

P TE T QFFICE.

EDWARD THOMAS CLEATHERO, or AL'ra Nci-iAM, ENGLAND.

BED-MOTION FOR PRINTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,333, dated'October6, 1903.-

Application filed September 8, 1902. Serial No. 122,564. (No model.)

analogous machines. It has :been invented with special reference to whatare known as the Century and the Miehle printingmachines; but it is ofcourse applicable to all machines, whether printing or not,which havereciprocating bed-motions.

The objects of the invention are to dispense with the usually employedreciprocating frame, the two longitudinal racks, the spurgear thatengages with these racks alternately, and the means by which thisalternate engagement is efiected. Among its advantages are aconsiderable diminution in the weight of the mass to be reciprocated anda shortening of the length of the fixed frame of the machine.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

which are to be taken as part of this specification and read therewith,Figure 1 isa 10ngitudinal vertical section on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2 ofsufficient of a printing-machine to illustrate the application of myinvention thereto, the said arrangement being one in which twosprocket-chains are employed for operating the reciprocating bed; Fig.2, a plan of the apparatus shown in Fig.1 with the top frame or tableremoved; Fig. 3, a sectional plan on line 3 3 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 4, aside elevation showing, on an enlarged scale, detached portions of theapparatus represented in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 5, a side elevation of amodification in which one sprocketchain is employed for operating thereciproeating bed, and Fig. 6 a horizontal section substantially on theline 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings the samereference-numerals are used to indicate the same or corresponding parts.

In carrying out the present improvements as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and4 a verticallys'lotted guide-bracket 1 is made fast centrally to thereciprocating bed 2, Fig. 1, from which it depends andwith which ittravels as if in one piece therewith. Two endless chains 3 3 pass aroundsprocket-wheels 4 4 and 5 5, situated near the ends of the machine. Thewheels 4 4 are each secured on one end of a short shaft 6, journaled ina bearing 7 and in the adjacent side frame 8, and each shaft 6 hassecured thereon a spur-pinion 9, gearing with a wheel 10, which isrotated in any convenient manner.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein the improvements as an example areshown applied to a printing-machine, the wheels 10 10 are convenientlyrepresented in Fig. 1 as geared to the shaft 11 of theimpression-cylinder 12 by spur-wheels 13 1415, all of which apparatus,forming no part of the present in-.

vention, is represented in dotted lines.

The two shafts 6 6 are coaxial and the common axis thereof is concentricwith a semicircular guide 16, fixed to the adjacent end.

frame 17 of the machine, this guide in plan being of forked form, asshown in Fig. 2, and the inner or adjacent ends of the two shafts 6 6terminating outside of the said fork.

The two wheels 5 5 are each mounted to retate freely on a short shaft orstud 18, rigidly secured in a frame 19, adjustable by a setscrew 20longitudinally of the machine on a stationary plate 21, Fig. 1. Withinthe frame 19 is rigidly secured a semicircular guide 22, similar to andin line with theabove-described guide 16 and concentric with thecommon-axis of the two coaxial shafts 18 18.

tegral therewith, the relative positions of the said guide and thewheels 5 5 remaining undisturbed during this adjustment.

Vertically slidable within the before-described guide-bracket 1 is ablock 23, Figs. 3 and 4, pivotally mounted on a rod 24, secured at itsends to the two chains 3 3, the rod 24 for this purpose beingconveniently provided with flanges 25 25, which conjointly with plates26 26 serve as chain-links and are in serted as such in the chains 3 3,the link-pins 27 27 and nuts or collars 28 28 on the ends of the rod 24serving to secure the latter to the chains. Between the sliding block 23and the flanges 25 are antifriction-rollers 29 29, adapted to engagewith and travel over the semicircular guides 16 and 22.

As the rod 24 completely traverses the two chains 3 3, and thereforeobstructs spaces of the said chains which would otherwise be availablefor teeth of the sprocket-wheels 4 4 and 5 5, one tooth 30 of each ofthe said wheels is formed with a recess or mutilation 31, adapted toaccommodate the appropriate obstruction, and the number of links in eachchain is a multiple of the number of teeth of the wheels 4 and 5, andthese latter are at such distance apart from center to center as toinsure that the blocked links shall always come into proper workingrelationship with the recessed or mutilated teeth 30.

Assuming that the before-described apparatus is in the position in whichit is indicated in Fig. 1 and that the chains 3 3 are adapted to travelin thedirections indicated by the arrows in that figure, the operationmay be described as follows: When the machine is started,'the chains 3 3through the rod 24, block 23, and guide-bracket l (the block 23 thenengaging the upper part of the.

said bracket) move the printing-bed 2 toward the right of Figs. 1 and 2at uniform speed until the rod is vertically over the axis of the shafts18 18, at which juncture the antifriction-rollers 29 29 act against theguide 22 and move down through it, carrying the sliding block 23 down tothe bottom of the guidebracket 1, thereby in succession graduallyslowing down the rightward travel, reversing the travel, and graduallyaccelerating the leftward travel of the printing-bed. Then the rollers29 29 emerge from the lower part of the semicircular guide 22 and theblock 23 is in engagement with the lower part of the guide-bracket 1,the said block moves the printing-bed toward the left of Figs. 1 and 2at uniform speed until the rod 24 is vertically beneath the axis of theshafts 6 6, at which juncture the antifriction rollers 29 29 engage withthe lower part of the semicircular guide 16 and move upward through thelatter, carryingthe sliding block 23 up to the top of the guide-bracket1, thereby in succession gradually slowing down the leftward travel,

reversing the travel, and gradually accelerat-.

ing the rightward travel of the printing-bed.

When there is only one chain 3 employed for operatingtheprinting-bed,and therefore only one sprocket-wheel at each end of themachine,.as in the, arrangement represented in part in Figs. 5 and 6,the chain 3 and sprocket-wheels 4 and 5 (only the former of which isshown in Figs. 5 and 6) are situated to one side of the center line ofthe machine,

the guides 16 and22 (of which only the guide 16 is shown) and theguide-bracket 1 occupying the central position and the rod 24 projecting out to one side of the single chain 3 into the sliding block 23and having an antifriction-roller 29 on either side of the guidebracketin line with the semicircular guides 16 and 22.

The operation of the last-described modificationis the same as thatshown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Instead of the slotted guide-bracket 1, semicircular guides 16 and 22,and chain or chains 3 being arranged vertically, as indicated in thedrawings, they may be all arranged horizontally.

If desired, suitable supports may be provided beneath the upper andlower parts of the chains 3 3 to prevent the latter from sagglng- Itwill be obvious that instead of chains being used as the means foroperating the part, such as the bed 2, to be reciprocated flexible bandsmay be employed for the purpose, the word chain or chains hereinafterused in the claims being intended to include all such alternativedevices.

- I claim- 1. In apparatusforimpartingreciprocating motion toprinting-beds and other devices, the combination with the said device,of a slotted guide-bracket secured thereto, a rod engaging theslototsaid bracket, a uniformlytraveling chain carrying the rod, twowheels over which the chain travels, one in each bight of the chain, asemicircular guide concentric With each of the wheels and adapted toengage the rod, an adjustable frame carrying one of the wheels andsemicircular guides, and adjusting devices for the frame, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In apparatusforimpartingreciprocating motion to printing-beds andother devices, the combination with the said device of a slottedguide-bracket secured thereto, a block slidable in the slot of thebracket, a rod on which the block is pivotally mounted, twouniformly-traveling chains each carrying one end of the rod, two pairsof wheels over which the chains travel, one wheel in each bight of thechains, antifriction-rollers on the rod, a semicircular guide concentricwith each of the wheels and adapted to engage the rollers, an adjustableframe carrying one pair of the wheels and one of the semicircularguides, and adjusting devices for the frame, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

EDWARD THOMAS OLEATHERO. Witnesses:

ARTHUR GRIME, G. E. BANNISTER.

